Teamwork
by IronicVeghead
Summary: Sakura runs into Itachi and ends up in Tsukuyomi in order to help Sasuke with his revenge. While in Tsukuyomi, Sakura must deal with the torture, and Itachi must deal with Inner Sakura. SasuSaku.
1. Itachi and Tsukuyomi

Hey! This is just something I did in one night but I really liked the idea. If you like it then please review and let me know, if you don't, please review and tell me what you thought was wrong. i DON'T OWN NARUTO. As usual:

This is normal talk.

_This is Sakura's thoughts._

**_This is Inner Sakura's Thoughts._**

* * *

><p><em>There has got to be a good way to handle this<em>. Sakura thought as she was halted on her way home from a mission. She was helping to catch an assassin in the Lightning country who was very good with poisons. No match for Sakura, but well enough to kill a few feudal lords before Konoha was called in to help. It took a few days to track him down, but his poison was useless in a head-to-head battle. He was taken care of.

"How nice of you to cross paths with me," Itachi Uchiha commented in a polite tone.

"…" Sakura said nothing. _I can't say anything, I can't provoke him, and I should not fight him. __**Yes you should! You should beat his ass!**_The pinkette reasoned in her head, ignoring her inner self, as she stood in a clearing about ten yards from a man whose only link to her was hurting her two teammates.

Of all enemies to Konoha, and of all enemies to her friends, Sakura hated Itachi Uchiha the most. Slaughterer of the family of her love, hunter of her best friend, the hardest part of facing him was holding her tongue. It would be best that he didn't know how much she resented him.

"Will you say nothing?" The Uchiha asked calmly.

_Hold your tongue…_Sakura thought to herself. _Where is Kisame? __** The ugly blue guy? **__They are usually together. Also, what is his reason for stopping me? __**Who cares? **__He could have easily caught me off guard had he wanted to capture or kill me. __**You're thinking too hard. **__That's what's kept us alive all these years. __**So?**__ So stop complaining!_ Sakura tried to figure his methods out as she stared hard at his feet, avoiding his _face_.

"I find it hard to believe that you have nothing to say to me," He taunted.

"I have plenty to say," Sakura spat at him. _**Idiot! What happened to keeping our mouth shut!**__ I know, I shouldn't have said that. _Itachi gave a small chuckled, reading the conflict on her face. "What do you want?" She asked, figuring out by now that he probably wanted information and wanting to keep their confrontation in conversation.

"I want very few things," He spoke just as calm as before, "But it is remarkable how much you seem to coincide with everything that I need,"

_**Uh oh. **__That's not a promising sign. I wish he never noticed, but it doesn't take a genius to see the connections. _

Sakura began thinking out how to handle this situation but before she came to any conclusion, she felt it. _That chakra. _The sense pierced her heart like nothing else, even quieting Inner Sakura. It was coming from behind Itachi and he probably couldn't sense it yet; no one could control chakra like Sakura. This also meant that she could sense chakra before anyone else. Thoughts of her own safety were suddenly thrown out the window as her tactic changed to encompass how to distract Itachi.

Time, she had precious little time before the chakra would become sensible to Itachi. _They changed. _Sakura noticed in her peripheral vision. _Mangekyo sharingan. I can make this work. A few seconds in this world that Itachi would be helpless. As well as a large drain of his chakra is needed to perform it. I just need to time it right._ _**You mean WE do, I'm with you on this one. **__Thanks Inner, it's gonna be tough._

The plan could work wonders. Timed correctly, Sakura theorized that it would keep Itachi in the dark for the few seconds long enough before he could notice the chakra coming and for it to get here. It would also put a large strain on Itachi's corneas leaving him unable to use complicated genjustus, not to mention the large amount of chakra lost to performing Tsukuyomi.

_Ten seconds.__** Five**__, four, __**three**__, two, __**one**__! _Sakura turned her eyes upward, meeting Itachi's Mangekyo sharingan just before Sasuke's chakra would come into Itachi's sensing range.

* * *

><p>"Ugnn…" Sakura groan as she found herself awaking in a red world with flat land that went on forever in every direction she could see. <em>I wonder if it always looks the same<em>. … _Inner?_ Sakura paused in her confusion at her missing inner self when she noticed Itachi coming towards her. She glared at him, _no use avoiding his eyes now._

"Sakura. Your anger led you astray," He commented lightly before the ground began to rumble.

Sakura bent her knees to steady herself but it made no difference because ropes shot out of the ground at her wrists. "Ah!" She gasped in surprise and began tugging on the ropes. They pulled tighter and began dragging her across the ground backwards. "Agh!" The medic struggled. Then she turned her head and saw where she was going.

A large cross was stuck in the ground, the ropes attached to it still pulling her to it. Sakura dug her feet into the ground to get a grip in the dirt but the ropes continued to pull her. Reaching the cross, Sakura cried out in frustration as she was lifted off the ground and her arms were tied down. The earth settled as Sakura tried to level her harsh breathing.

Itachi walked closer with an impassive face, pulling out a katana once he reached her.

"That is interesting," He spoke with a smirk, "Most victims are found already tied up, and yet I had to do it myself,"

"You're a bastard! You're evil! And you'll get what's coming to you! Mark my words!" She yelled at him, steeling her nerves and eating her fear. _This isn't even real, I can feel pain, but it's not real! _

"You have mighty words now, I challenge you to keep them," Itachi chuckled as he wielded his katana.

"AGGH!" Sakura screamed as he ran his sword into her gut. _I need to work up my adrenaline to help keep the pain away. Inner? Where are you? _

Itachi pulled out the katana and swiftly shoved it through Sakura's shoulder. Tears gathered in her eyes. _I can handle this! Kakashi could take it! So can I! _The katana was left in her shoulder as Itachi retreated to choose a new weapon.

* * *

><p><em>Keep screaming Sakura! I'll find you! As long as you keep getting louder I know I'm going the right way. Hold on! I'm coming!<em>

* * *

><p><em>It's so painful! How is this not real? I don't understand!<em> Sakura thought as she tried without success to block out the pain radiating from her body. The katana was out of her shoulder, but now it was in her thigh. Senbons and shriuken were peppering her skin.

"Now might be a good time to bring up Konoha," Itachi spoke for the first time in what seemed like hours. "Is there anything useful you would like to tell me?" his monotone voice drew out.

"Never." Sakura breathed. _I will never betray my friends, no matter the salvation he promises. _

"If I like what you tell me, I may be able to shorten you're visit here," He offered.

"Like I could trust you," Sakura wheezed. Her throat was so dry, Itachi noticed.

"Or I could give you water," He spoke as he raised his hand to reveal a tall glass of water. Sakura swallowed, wondering if it was really true what she read once. _Can you really swallow your own tongue?_ Itachi raised the glass to his lips, gulping the liquid down fast enough to let some of it slosh out the sides, darkening the ground. Sakura averted her eyes, feeling her anger rise.

"Offer me anything, I will never betray Konoha!" Sakura shouted at him. Itachi's face never wavered from its unrevealing expression.

"So be it," He said before he threw a kunai.

* * *

><p>"AAAAGGGHH!" The scream sounded out, filling the air.<p>

"SAKURA! HOLD ON!" _I'm getting so much closer! I have to be! She sounds so close!_

* * *

><p><em>Hours. It feels like it's been hours. But has it? <em>Sakura thought as Itachi was pulling his kunai's from their hold on her skin. _A few days. Will I get tired? Can I die in here? _

Itachi moved back a ways away and began what seemed to be target practice once more.

"Ugn," She flinched as one hit her forearm. _I don't feel woozy from blood loss…_ Sakura looked down at herself, turned her head to look at both of her arms. The red of the atmosphere made it more difficult, but the tinting and the wetness told her that, yes, she was losing blood in an alarming amount. _So does that mean I can't die here? Or that I just can't die from blood loss here? He does seem to be avoiding my heart…_Sakura managed to get through what was probably another hour without too much sound by pondering in depth the extent of the effect of Tsukuyomi on the body. But eventually began confusing herself and she decided to try something else.

"Why did you do it?" She asked, pushing for a tone of voice that was more curious than full of malice.

"Do what?" Itachi asked without true question in his voice.

"Kill your family, why would you do that?" Sakura asked directly. It something she often wondered, now seemed like a good time to ask.

"Experience, I wanted to test myself," He spoke with a smirk. Sakura was quiet, watching him and wincing when a shriuken hit her; turning over his answer in her head again and again.

"Why leave Sasuke alive?" She shot another question out, her voice at a normal level.

"I will fight him someday, as another test to my skills," He explained with a hint of sinister to his voice. Sakura took this answer in also.

"…" She was quiet, thinking over everything she knew about Itachi. _A test? As in, like an ultimate sparring match? To kill those above you to know you can do it. It's logical in evil terms I suppose. But…_

"I don't believe you," Sakura said with no infliction in her tone. This made Itachi stop throwing his weapons.

"And why would that be?" He nearly sneered. Sakura stared at him, watching his expressions.

"If I were to believe that you have a trend tokill others more experienced than you to test your skills, I would expect a trend. You don't have a trend. If you were to have this trend in your actions you should have searched out the Akatsuki not to join them, but to challenge them. You should not follow the orders of those above you in an organization, but to strike out and challenge those famous ninjas in each country. You don't follow the pattern you say you have. So I don't believe you," Sakura concluded.

"You have a much stretched theory," Itachi said before throwing another kunai.

"AH!" Sakura cried out as it stuck itself into her gut. She grit her teeth, "Well it fits better than yours,"

* * *

><p>"AH!"<p>

_Sakura! I'm almost there! I can see you in the distance now! You look so far away! But I won't stop! A little bit longer! Just a little bit longer!_

* * *

><p><em>Just one more chapter. Its got a bit more than this one. Review to let me know what you think. Thanks!<em>

_-Nexa_


	2. Inner Sakura and Sasuke

If you like it then please review and let me know, if you don't, please review and tell me what you thought was wrong. i DON'T OWN NARUTO. As usual:

This is normal talk.

_This is Sakura's thoughts._

**_This is Inner Sakura's Thoughts._**

* * *

><p><em>It fits, it makes sense. He's lying to me; he must have lied to everyone. I wonder what he's hiding. OW! The pain hasn't gone down any, it just keeps coming! Has it even been a day yet? I can't tell, there isn't a sun, the moon doesn't move. <em>Sakura thought to herself as she desperately tried to figure out how long she had left to endure.

Itachi once again retrieved his now bloody weapons. Sakura wondered what would happen if she lost an arm or a leg while she was here.

"AGHH!" She screamed as Itachi lodged a dagger into her calf, "AGGHH!" another to her ribs, she felt them strain again the unusual object forcing them to move.

"I do wonder when you will start begging," Itachi questioned.

"And I wonder when you will tell the truth," Sakura shot back. Itachi said nothing. _I think my arms are going numb! I'm torn whether that's good or bad. _"AGH"_ Bad, they aren't numb when they get hurt. _Sakura struggled to keep her head up, her neck was becoming extremely sore and cramped. "Ugnnn," She moaned in frustration. _So much pain…_

"SAKURA!" A voice rang out. Sakura whipped her head up to find the source, Itachi looked also and seemed confused at what he saw. Another Sakura was walking up to them and placed herself between the caught Sakura and Itachi.

"Inner!" Sakura shouted out in joy! _I wondered where she went! But of course! We're in my mind! She exists physically here!_

"Who are you?" Itachi asked with confusion leaking into his speech. He had never come across a double when using Tsukuyomi.

"I'm Inner Sakura," The woman who was a copy of Sakura responded venomously, "And you're in my world asshole!" She yelled at him.

"I beg to differ," Itachi explained easily. The ground began to shake and a giant hand rose up made from rock and dirt, it moved to enclose Inner Sakura in its grip.

"CHA!" Inner Sakura yelled as she jumped at the hand and crushed it with a punch to the palm. Dirt and rocks flew off everywhere. Inner Sakura moved to the cross and pulled a kunai out from Sakura's arm to use it to cut the ropes holding her.

"Ugn," Sakura groaned as Inner Sakura pulled it out, "I didn't know where you went, I was worried," Sakura spoke. The ropes broke and Inner Sakura helped Sakura to the ground. Sakura pulled the weapons left in her skin out and set them on the ground. Inner Sakura began healing her wounds. Itachi watched them curiously.

"This is quite interesting," He said.

"You don't have access to chakra here Sakura," Inner Sakura spoke.

"I noticed, do you?" Sakura asked as she bit her lip through the pain.

"Unlimited," Inner Sakura whispered as she nearly finished healing all of the extensive wounds on Sakura.

"Where were you?" Sakura asked.

"In the middle of nowhere, but I heard your screaming and followed it to you," Inner Sakura explained, and then helped a healed Sakura up. They stood side by side.

"Shall we see who really has control now, Itachi?" Sakura asked him smugly.

"I will admit this is a new experience," He smirked, undaunted.

Sakura and Inner Sakura ran towards him. They each threw a weapon which he deflected with a kunai and then they met head on.

Sakura dropkicked, Inner punched, Itachi deflected. New punches and kicks and attacks continued the battle. The ground would rise and move every once and awhile under Itachi's command to try and let him get the upper hand. However without his genjutsu, Itachi was at a great disadvantage to two close combat fighters. He couldn't risk losing too much chakra in a jutsu.

"Itachi, you are at a disadvantage! Why? Because this is our world! Not yours! And by doing this you have declared war!" Inner Sakura raged as she landed hits one after another on Itachi, while Sakura parried all of his attacks to create openings for Inner Sakura.

A last chakra filled hit and Itachi was thrown back.

"We're not finished with you yet!" Sakura shouted as they followed the dust cloud to a rising Itachi.

"But I'm finished with you," He spoke ominously. Putting his arms out, the ground began to quake and the atmosphere grew thicker.

And then it stopped. Itachi halted, his eyes growing wide and unfocused. Sakura and Inner Sakura turned to look at each other in reassurance of what happened. Itachi drew his hands in to his chest, holding them there and looking down at them in shock.

The clouds drew away, the earth stopped shaking, and it grew darker.

"Inner?" Sakura reached out her hand, Inner Sakura clasped it.

"I think Tsukuyomi is ending!" She shouted over a roaring sound filling the air.

It went dark.

* * *

><p>Her head was fuzzy, so fuzzy. She couldn't see anything, but there was noise.<p>

_Inner? __**Yeah, I'm back.**__Where am I?_ _**The hospital in Konoha, that's all I know so far. **__That's good though! I'm not dead and…well…I guess that's about it. __**But it's pretty damn good!**_ _Yes, yes it is. _

Sakura heard a door open and there were footsteps. A pen, she heard someone write something on a clipboard; then a sigh.

"Sakura…"

_Shishou?_

"You gave us quite a scare there. But I don't understand, you meant to do this didn't you? You are much too reckless,"

_It was the best chance!_

"Did I not teach you that the medic must never get hurt?"

…_maybe…but I had a good reason!_

"I'm so glad you're okay Sakura, you're like a daughter to me, and I want to scold you when you wake up but I know that you won't regret what you did anyway so it's just hopeless," Tsunade said with a hint of laughter in her voice. Sakura heard a large crash in the hallway. "I better let them see you before they tear the hospital apart,"

_Them? Naruto would, but whom else?_

"I better see you soon Sakura, awake!" Tsunade said before leaving the room.

_I want to see! I want to wake up now! __**Be patient. I'm sure you will eventually. **__Who do you think is with Naruto? You don't think… __**I love getting your hopes up, but I don't think he would tear a hospital apart. **__No, I suppose not. _

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto's voice rang out as the door opened.

_Naruto! __**Ramen-boy! **__Stop calling him that! He's our best friend! __**Along with Pig. **__Yes, along with Pig. _

Sakura felt her hand being picked up and held by Naruto's large coarse ones.

"Sakura-chan you terrified me! When you got in here and I heard what happened! How did you get caught like that! You are always so good at keeping your eyes away!" Naruto spoke to her unconscious body.

"She did it on purpose," A deep voice spoke. Sakura felt her heart speed up. Then she heard the heart monitor speed up as well. Naruto laughed.

"I think she can hear us teme!" He belted out, excited, "Hey, teme, tell her what happened. I bet she wants to know,"

"You don't know that she can hear us," Sasuke spoke.

"I do too! Here teme, take her hand," Naruto said. Sakura felt her hand being, well, handed over to another one. A hand just a rough feeling, but yet much gentler. The heart monitor sped up again. "See!" Naruto said. Sasuke chuckled a bit.

"I guess so, Hello Sakura," Sasuke greeted her.

"Hey, Sakura-chan chill out. That beeping is really annoying," Naruto teased.

_I can't believe Sasuke is here! And he is still holding my hand! __**I know! What happened!**_

"Oh, right, tell her teme," Naruto reminded Sasuke. Sakura imagined he nodded.

"I knew Itachi was nearby because my teammate can sense chakra from very far away. When we got closer she mentioned that there was someone else there too. Eventually we got close enough that I could tell it was you. I got my katana out, ready to fight, but when I got there he was using Mangekyo sharingan on you. I got him right through the heart. He died and you fell down unconscious. I know what happens in Tsukuyomi so I brought you here right away," Sasuke finished.

_Wow, that was a lot for him to say. __**I'm so proud of him!**__ And he brought me here! __**He totally loves you. **_

"Why is the heart monitor going off again?" Naruto spoke up.

"Maybe she wants to know something else but can't ask," Sasuke offered. It was quiet for a bit.

"Oh! Tell her the good news!" Naruto nearly shouted.

"Itachi's dead?" Sasuke suggested.

"No teme! The _other_ good news!" Naruto laughed.

"Oh, hn," Sasuke grunted in agreement.

_What good news?_ _Oh my gosh, is that his mouth by my ear? __**That tickles you hottie!**__ Oh my Kami! __**Did he just say…? **__I WANT TO WAKE UP I WANT TO WAKE UP I WANT TO WAKE UP I-_

"WANT TO WAKE UP!" Sakura shouted as her eyes flew open to the hospital room containing her teammates. Her eyes slowly adjusted to the light as she blinked them a couple of times. A messy haired, grinning Naruto and a handsome, smirking Sasuke filled her vision. "Did you just say you…?" Sakura's eyes filled up with tears. Sasuke smirked even more.

"Hn, I'm back. For good," He gave a small smile at her. Sakura wrapped her arms around him in a hug and her tears spilled over.

"Hey, can I-" Naruto started.

"Yes, get in here you knucklehead!" Sakura laughed as she pulled Naruto into their hug. Naruto laughed.

"Sakura!" Tsunade's voice filled the room, "You're awake!" Sakura pulled back from her teammates to smile at her teacher.

"Yes" She grinned from ear to ear. Tsunade smiled at her for a moment, and then it turned to a scowl.

"Do you mind explaining to me why you looked into Itachi's Mangekyo sharingan on purpose?" Tsunade growled at her apprentice. Sakura winced.

"It was the best course of action!" Sakura defended.

"You did it on purpose!" Naruto yelped.

"I knew Sasuke was heading over, and I knew that Itachi was ready to try and trick me into looking at his Mangekyo sharingan. I also knew that it would keep Itachi busy for a few seconds as well as drain a large amount of his chakra. So I timed it so that Itachi would be incapacitated when Sasuke got to us," Sakura explained.

"You shouldn't have done it," Sasuke looked at her sadly.

"I handled it," Sakura explained.

"What happened in it?" Naruto asked curiously. Sakura smirked, "Why are you smirking?"

"Because I did have to handle being torture for probably at least a day or two, but then Inner Sakura found me," Sakura smiled, glad she didn't have to explain who Inner Sakura was to her close friends that already knew.

"I'd thought about it before, ever since you got Ino out of your mind in the Chunin exams," Tsunade spoke, "Tell us more," Sakura nodded.

"Inner Sakura was somewhere else, so she followed my screams, " her friends winced at her story, "Inner Sakura had unlimited chakra so she got me down-"

"Got you down?" Naruto asked. Sakura looked off to the side.

"I was, um, tied to a cross by my arms," Sakura clarified, "Then Inner Sakura healed all my wounds and we took on Itachi," _**Hells yeah we did! We beat his ass!**_ "He was just about to do something drastic when he freaked out and was holding his chest, I'm guessing that's when you stabbed him," Sakura looked to Sasuke, who nodded in agreement. It got silent.

"Wow, Sakura that's so cool!" Naruto exclaimed. Sakura laughed.

"It explains why you woke up so soon," Tsunade said. Sakura paused in thought.

"How long have I been out?" She asked.

"Almost three weeks now," Sasuke said. Sakura gaped.

"Three weeks! Oh man!"

"Yes so you should get a bit more rest before you leave. I'll let you go in a couple of hours," Tsunade said before leaving.

"I'm really glad you're awake Sakura-chan, but I've got a date with Hina-chan so I'll check on you later!" Naruto shouted as he left with a goodbye hug. A large silence filled the room. Sakura twisted the sheets in her hands. Abnormally aware of Sasuke's presence in the room.

"I'm really glad you're back Sasuke," Sakura spoke. Sasuke sighed and sat down on the side of her bed.

"I'm very glad you're okay. You shouldn't have done that," Sasuke looked seriously at Sakura, who shook her head.

"I'd read all about Tsukuyomi, and I was willing to take the torture if it gave you your chance at revenge, and I did take it," Sakura spoke strong.

"I still wish you hadn't. To know you did that for me, it was too much. I don't deserve your friendship, either of yours," Sasuke said, inferring Naruto. Sakura smiled at him and took his hand.

_I can do this. __**You can do this! **__I can show him that he matters. __**Who cares what HE says about it! **__Yeah, I just want to be sure he really knows. _

"It doesn't matter if you deserve it, because like it or not have my friendship, and like it or not you have my love. Always," Sakura said, keeping her eyes locked on Sasuke's. He blinked, Sakura nearly laughed at the shock showing in his eyes. Then he took his hand and held it to the side of her face, stroking her cheek with his thumb.

_**Breathe! Breathe woman!**_ Sakura sucked in a breath. _**In, and out, in, and out.**_

"I don't understand how you could love me, but since you do, I would like to try and be worthy of it. Because I love you too," Sasuke breathed. Sakura's breathing hitched and she nodded because she couldn't find words to speak. Sasuke leaned in and took her lips to his own in a sweet kiss.

_He is so wonderful, I just love him. __**He is also super hot! **_

Breaking apart, Sakura wrapped her arms around his torso and rested her head on his shoulder. Sasuke responded by pulling her closer and kissing her hair.

"We need to talk about Itachi," Sakura said.

"What about him," Sasuke asked a bit tense.

"I think he was lying. When he was talking about the massacre," Sakura said.

"How so?"

"He said that he wanted to test himself, right?" Sakura asked.

"Aa" Sasuke confirmed.

"So then why join the Akatsuki? Why not just challenge them?" Sakura voiced her thoughts. Sasuke mulled this over.

"Hn, I see what you mean. But then, why? What was he hiding?" Sasuke spoke, a little hectic. Sakura rubbed the hand she was holding with her thumb.

"It's fine, we can figure it out, was there anything you noticed?" She asked. Sasuke nodded.

"He poked my forehead before he died, he did that when I was little," Sasuke paused, "Before the massacre,"

"We can do some research later," Sakura said, still rubbing his hand to calm his new worries.

"Aa," Sasuke said, now a bit distracted.

_Great, now I've made him depressed. __**Fix it then. **__How? __**I don't know; you're smart. Think of something. **_

"Sasuke," Sasuke cut into his thoughts.

"Hn?" He voiced.

"When I get out of the hospital do you want to go spar at the training grounds?" She asked.

"Yes," He smirked. Sakura laughed.

"I bet I can kick your ass," Sakura teased, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Hn, yeah right," Sasuke smirked some more.

"Oh yeah? Let's make a bet! Whoever loses has to buy the other dinner," Sakura wagered.

"Sounds like a date," Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"It _sounds_ like a plan," Sakura smiled.

And Sasuke smiled back.

* * *

><p>Thank you for reading this! I enjoyed writing it! Please review if it made a positive or negative impact on you. If you're neutral, you are exempt. Check out my other stories, I'm working on another Sasusaku one right now that is much longer. But I never post anything until it is finished on my computer so enjoy what I have out now. Thanks again!<p>

-Nexa


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